One of the most challenging topics of conversation I’ve had in the past few years is the eternal question of “why don’t you go all digital? Why keep paper planners, write in project whiteboards, and have an Everything Notebook?”. The answer is: I like the idea of having redundancies. For me, making sure that things appear twice or thrice in several different media and that I have back-up systems is important.

Since it’s the end of the month, I am currently doing a quick revision of my Monthly Plan. I have my Everything Notebook, printed calendars, Google Calendar and Publications Planner all at the ready so I can revisit my goals and adjust as necessary. pic.twitter.com/8Wu4h5jUWS

When people ask me what I mean by redundancies, I explain it this way: I make sure that what’s printed in my Monthly Calendar is reflected in my daily to-do list in my Everything Notebook and in my Google Calendar. For some people this process is cumbersome. Not for me. pic.twitter.com/0BbPAqSwPX

I insert two additional redundancies: I have a Bi-Weekly Task Whiteboard on campus and a weekly one at my home office. I post my most relevant milestones and deadlines there. This crosslinking and redundancy allows me to visualize upcoming deadlines and milestones. pic.twitter.com/PUkvzOIhmx

In addition to printed calendars and Everything Notebooks, I have an additional redundancy in my home office: I have a Weekly Commitments Whiteboard right by my desk. I copy my most important To-Do’s (usually meetings and milestones) on to that whiteboard so the first thing I see when I wake up is exactly what I am supposed to be doing on that particular day. This redundancy ensures that even if I don’t have my Everything Notebook (or can’t access my Google Calendar), I know what to work on, every single morning.

My weekly plan is plotted on Google Calendar as well as on my Everything Notebook. I include set meetings, personal. pic.twitter.com/wHV8OfUI3G

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About Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD

I am an Assistant Professor in the Public Administration Division of the Centre for Economic Research and Teaching, CIDE (Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas, CIDE, AC) based out of CIDE Region Centro in Aguascalientes, Mexico. My research is interdisciplinary by nature, although I consider myself more of a political scientist and geographer, as those [...]more →